Fluid pressure regulator



June 20, 1933. W HUN-g- 1,914,776

FLUID PRESSURE REGULATOR M//m Hanf l f y f Filed April l2, 1950 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 2i), 1933 UNHTEB STATES PATENT @FFECE'W'LLIM HUNT, OS BALTIMORE, B'IARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE C. M. KEMP MANU-FACTURNG COMPANY, OF BALTIIILORE, TIIARYLAND, A CORPGRATIGN F MARY- LANDFLUID PRESSURE REGULATOR Application filed April 12,

The present invention relates to improvements in fluid pressureregulators and has for its principal purpose to provide a governor meansfor such regulators which will insure constant pressure in the outletconduit of a fluid pressure regulator casing, or an increase in deliverypressure in accordance with an increase in the demand for fluid, oreffect reduction of such pressure if the demand for fluid exceeds apredetermined amount.

The invention is particularly applicable for use with regulators forgaseous fluids and by it an objection common to regulators for thisparticular purpose as commonly constructed is avoided.

ln the accompanying drawings Figure l is a vertical sectional viewthrough a fluid pressure regulator embodying the improvements.

`Figure 2 is an end elevation with part of the casing broken away.

Referring to the drawings, in both figures of which like parts aredesignated by the same reference characters, an embodiment of theinvention is shown as applied to a regulator of a common type or formcomprising a casing l provided with an inlet port 2, an outlet port 3,and having its interior di- 3 vided by a partition 4 into two chamberswhich communicate through a port 5.

Passage of fluid through the port 5 is controlled by a valve 6, the stem7 of which extends upward into a pressure chamber 8 which is supportedon the casing l. A diao phragm 9 is clamped at its edges betweenseparable portions of the walls of the pressure chamber' and the valvestem 7 extends through and is suitably secured to said dia- 40 phragm.

As shown, the diaphragm adjacent the valve stem 7 is clamped betweenplates l() and 1l and by means of a suitable nut l2 the plate l() isheld in Contact with an abutment i3 that bears against an annularshoulder on the valve stem. Also, the spacein the casing 3 beneath thediaphragm is connected with the interior of the body l by a by-pass la,and the space above the diaphragm communicates with an atmospheric ventformed in a boss 8a.

1930. Serial No. 443,313.

In the particular form of the invention shown, the valve stem is alsoconnected to a second diaphragm l5 which is clamped between the walls ofthe casing l and a detach able bottom member 16.

The top of the upper member of the enclosure forming the pressurechamber 3 is apertured and the upper end of the valve stem 7 whichextends through said Vaperture is preferably threaded. On such threadedupper end section of the valve stem is fitted a sleeve 20 whichconstitutes an extension of the valve stem and may be adjustedlongitudinally thereof to vary the effective length of the stem as maybe desired. ln the embodiment of the invention illustrated, suchmovement of the extension member to vary the length of the valve stem iseffected by a nut 2l which engages the threads on the valve stem and onwhich the sleeve 2O rests.

On the top of the pressure chamber is mounted a base plate providedwithfupwardly extending parallel arms 31 and between such arms isarranged a bell crank lever having an upwardly extending arm 32 and alaterally projecting arm 33.

The arms 32, 33 of the bell crank are preferably separable. The lowerend of the arm 32 is shown as being forked with the members thereofembracing a fulcrum bar or rod 34 and secured thereto by set screws 32a.The other arm 33 has its upper end fitted on the fnlcrum bar or rod 34between the members of the forked end of the arm 32 and a set screw 33aconnects the arm 32 with said fulcrum rod.

By loosening the set screws 32a, 33a, the angular relation of the arms32, 33 of the bell crank and their position on the fulcrum rod may bevaried vas desired.

As shown, the bell crank is fulcrumed between the uprights 3l, by pins34a adjustably mounted in said uprights and engaging the ends of thefulcrum bar or rod 34.

The free: end of the laterally projecting arm 33 of the bell crank isshown as bifur* cated and between the members of such arm is mounted aroller 35 which rests upon the extensible sleeve portion 2O of the valvestem.

The outer end of the upwardly extending arm 32 of the bell crank ispreferably reduced somewhat in diameter and provided with a thread withwhich is engaged the bottom wall of a tubular container 3G. The outerend of this container is closed by a removable cap member 37 and asuitable amount of weight material, which may be in the form of shots38, is placed within such container.

On the base member 30 is mounted a lug or stop 40 which extends towardand is adapted to cooperate with the bell crank arm 33 to limit movementof the bell crank under the influence of the weight in the container 36.

The horizontal arm or member of the stop 40 is connected to the base 30by a screw extending through a slot in said arm so that the st-opmay beadjusted bodily to vary the extent to which the bell crank may rockabout its axis before the arm 33 tiereof will contact with the stop.

As shown, the parts are so positioned that when the valve G is closedthe upwardly extending weighted arm of the bell crank is in a positionslightly inclined from the vertical.

When pressure in the chamber of the ca sing 1 communicating directlywith the outlet port 3 is reduced, the corresponding reduction inpressure in the chamber in casing 8 below the diaphragm 9 permits theweighted diaphragm to move downwardly, opening the valve, and asv thevalve stem begins such downward movement additional pressure is appliedto the extension Q0 at the upper end thereof by movement of the bellcrank about its axis from the full line position to the positionrepresented in dotted lines in Figure 1.

lith pressure regulators of the type herein described. in whichmovementof the valve is controlled solely by a. pressure actuateddiaphragm, it is found practically impossible to maintain a constantpressure at the outlet port 3. lith such regulators employed forcontrolling the flow of gas to a series of burners, for example, it isfound that if the number ofractive burners is increased there will be agradual reduction in the pressure of the gas passing through the outletport 3. By the present invention, however, this is avoided by theadditional pressure exerted on the valve stem by the action of the bellcrank arm 33 so that the port 5 will be opened to a greater extent thanyit would be if movement of the valve were controlled simply by thediaphragms connected to the valve stem.

The roller 35 on the bell crank exerts pressure on the valve stem with.a minimum amount of friction and the extent to which the bell crank canrock is readily regulated by adjusting the nut 2l, movement of the bellcrank in the opposite direction being`r as before noted, limited by thestop 40. l

As shown, the auxiliary pressure means is enclosed Iin a suitable casing50.

The auxiliary weight applied to the upper end of the valve stem willprovide for slightly increasing the discharge pressure at the outlet 3after the valve has been opened to a limited amount and by properlyadjusting the stop l0 the valve stem may be relieved of the auxiliaryweight when desired.

The adjustable stop e() acts not only to prevent the arm 33 of the bellcrank assuming a substantially vertical position which would locithevalve in open position but it provides means for relieving the valvestem of the action of the auxiliary weight at any desired point in themovement of the stem and thus permit of reducingl pressure on the outletside of the governor when the gas demand exceeds a certain amount.

By varying the angle of the arms of the bell crank and the movement ofthe weight ou the arm 32, well as the possibility of adjusting theweight chamber 3G the apparatus can be easily adapted to insure increasein delivery pressure to correspond to increases in the demand for gas.

lVhat I claim is:

l. In a fluid pressure regulator, the combina ti on of a casing havingsuitable inlet and outlet ports and interiorly divided by an aperturedpartition into two chambers communicating respectively with said ports,a pressure chamber superposed on said casing, a diaphragm within thepressure chamber, a valve cooperating with the apertured partition inthe casing to control flow of fluid through the casing, the stem of thevalve eX- tending into the pressure chamber and through the diaphragmtherein, connections between the valve stem and diaphragm, an adjustableextension on the upper end of the valve stem, and a bell crank leverhaving an upwardly directed weighted arm and a laterally directed armthat extends over and contact-s with the said extension of the valvestem as the lever moves about its pivot under the influence of its saidweighted arm.

2. In a fluid pressure regulator, the combination of a casing havingsuitable inlet and outlet ports and interiorly`divided by an aperturedpartition into two 'chambers communicating respectively with said ports,a pressure chamber superposed on said casing, a diaphragm within thepressure chamber, a valve cooperating with the apertured partition inthe casing to control flow of fluid through the casing, the stem of thevalve eX- tending into the pressure chamber and connected to thediaphragm therein, a bell crank having an upwardly directed weighted armand a laterally directed bifurcatedarm, and a roller supported betweenthe members of the last said arm and adapted to transmit pressure to thediaphragm as the bell crank lever is rocked about its pivot by theaction of the weight arm thereof.

3. In a fluid pressure regulator, the combination of a casing havingsuitable inlet and outlet ports and interiorly divided by an aperturedpartition into twochambers communicating respectively with said ports,ya pressure chamber super-posed on said casing, a diaphragm within thepressure chamber, a valve cooperating with the apertured partition inthe casing to control flow of fluid through the casing, the stem of thevalve extending into the pressure chamber and connected to the diaphragmtherein, a bell crank having an upwardly directed arm and a laterallydirected arm, and a tubular weight receptacle on and adjustable in thedirection of the length of said upwardly directed arm, the laterallydirected arm being adapted to apply pressure to the diaphragm as thebell crank lever is rocked about its pivot by the action of the weightedarm thereof.

1i. In a fluid pressure regulator, the combination with a casing havingsuitable inlet and outlet ports and provided interiorly with a valvecontrolling iiow of fluid through said ports, and a pressure actuateddiaphragm connected with the valve stem, said valve stem having anextension provided with an enlarged head7 of means for supplementing theaction of the diaphragm in moving the valve to open position including amovable weight having a portion arranged to frictionally engage saidhead and means in the path of movement of the weight for automaticallyrelieving the diaphragm of the action of the weight when the valve hasbeen opened to a predetermined extent less than the maximum.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

VILLIAM HUNT.

